Two Tablespoons: Beer Review - Trappistes Rochefort 10

For my first post here, I decided to go with a beer review.  I realize they always say it’s better to work your way to the best, from the worst.  This way, apparently, you will enjoy the lesser quality experiences more.  Take, for example, the 16 year old who is gifted with a Porsche as his first car.  Once out from under the fiscal wing of his parents, he purchases a Honda.  Honda’s are great cars, but might not be so exciting after one has owned a Porsche.  So he is disappointed with his purchase.  But, despite this clichéd piece of advice, I am giving you the Porsche first, and I will let you decide if you want to stay with the Porsches, or try something else.  But I warn you, whatever else you try will seldom be as delightful as this Porsche of Beers.
    My!  What suspense!  What beer is he speaking of, this Porsche of beers?  I am, of course, referring to Trappistes Rochefort 10, possibly the best example of the Belgian Quadruple I have ever come across.  I have kept a spreadsheet of beers for years, and for 4 years I never rated a beer a “10.”  This rating was reserved for a beer for which I would give up all other beers.  One that truly knocked my socks off.  After trying my first Trappistes Rochefort 10, I marked a “10” in the rating column and was instantly depressed.  For I had found perfection.  And perfection cost $7.00 a bottle.  So I could not afford to give up all other beers and guzzle the “10” like there was no tomorrow.  Why couldn’t Busch Light be the “10?”  Or any other beer that costs 1/12 as much as this one for that matter.  But I digress.
   Belgian Quadruples have been brewed by the Belgian Monks for ages.  They are typically a dark brown beer with a high alcohol content.  Their flavors are extremely complex, and they only improve and intensify as they warm throughout the drinking experience.  A person can notice many more of the complexities and subtleties of this beer when above the 50 degree mark.  One interesting quality of the Belgian Ales (Dubbels, Tripels, and Quads), is that they can be cellar aged, in the same manner as wine.  With most beers, the flavors start to diminish within 6 months of being bottled, rendering aging a non-desirable activity. This particular sample is brewed by Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy), by actual Monks.  In order for a beer to be called “Trappist Ale,” it must be brewed by monks at a monetary.  It pours dark with a thick foamy head and a great aroma.  The taste is malty and sweet with a mild bitterness.  At 11.3% ABV, it is a strong ale, and you will feel the alcohol.  I strongly recommend serving this in a tulip glass or a goblet, and between 45 and 50 degrees.  If served too cold, you will not taste some of the more subtle complexities.  Some people pair Quads with meats, however, I much prefer to pair it with a nice, mild cheese.  Brie and Havarti are possibly my favorite cheeses to have with such a nice ale, as they will not overpower it.
   So, grab a Trappistes Rochefort 10 for your next special occasion. Drink it slowly and enjoy perfection at $7.00 a bottle.